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Demonstrating its continuing commitment to rigorous enforcement of important federal efficiency requirements, the Department of Energy’s Office of Enforcement today announced 20 new enforcement cases. These cases are against companies that the Department has reason to believe are selling products in the United States without certifying that their products comply with energy efficiency or water conservation standards. The legally required certifications help ensure that products sold in the U.S. deliver significant energy and cost savings to the American public. The 20 companies include manufacturers of appliance, plumbing, and lighting products.

These 20 new enforcement cases follow the 30 cases brought and successfully resolved by the Office of Enforcement in the fall of 2010. Both sets of cases reflect the central goal of the Department’s enforcement effort – ensuring compliance with all aspects of the Department’s regulations to ensure that consumers have the information they need to buy energy- and cost-saving products. Accordingly, the Notices of Proposed Civil Penalty reflect that fines will be reduced if companies respond promptly and commit to certifying properly all covered products in accordance with the Department’s regulations. If companies fail to address claims within thirty days, however, the Department has the authority to file actions to assess the full penalty authorized by law.